


Oh, If Only...

by libradragons



Series: MeiCree Week 2017 [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Look I tried, contributing quality content to the McCree tag, how do I meicree, meicree week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 09:37:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10919181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/libradragons/pseuds/libradragons
Summary: Mei-Ling Zhou has been selected to join a team of scientists to work on making the world climate better, but she's gotta get to Switzerland, make a new cowboy friend, and have lunch with him...or try to.





	Oh, If Only...

**Oh, If Only…**

 

                Flights from China had always seemed long, and it never took long for the jetlag to catch up with one Mei-Ling Zhou. Even then, her mind had been geared toward making note of the time changes, the weather patterns (things she’d done even as she packed), and the good times to even begin updating her journal. She had made the login, the password, and even put in the extra twenty minutes trying to choose the best layout a couple of nights before her flight. A journal would be good to keep, especially if they chose a reasonably far location for her to begin work.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have you here as a representative from the Overwatch branch all the way in China.”

It was Strike Commander Jack Morrison’s voice that pulled Mei out of her head just before she could remember whether or not she wrote down that information. With a couple of blinks, Mei noted Jack’s outstretched, gloved hand and quickly did she extend her own to shake his firmly before she grabbed her suitcases and followed alongside him. Morrison definitely towered over Mei, but he kept his pace in line with hers so as to not leave her behind. For a moment, she watched the rich blue of his coat tail after him, and then her eyes drifted up to his wrist watch, and with a press of a button from Jack, the holovid popped up.

“Thank you,” Mei responded as she gave into the urge to look at her own watch, which wasn’t synced to Switzerland’s time, “I look forward to working with everyone!”

“This is Morrison.” Jack answered, his attention diverted to that call, which in turn made Mei take another glance around the airport. As she tuned Morrison’s voice out, women and children hurried along with their belongings, stopped at the nearby stalls for the undoubtedly overpriced trinkets, and fussed only for a little bit over what was good to buy. The newsstands had an omnic operator every two stands from what Mei could catch in her peripheral vision and just as she caught sight of a noodle cart (which would probably set her back more than she intended it to), the familiar and loud beep of a call ending turned her attention back to Morrison.

“I apologize. It was just Capatain Amari keeping me on my toes. Things have been hectic in preps for you and the other scientists arriving here.” Jack said and he resumed walking. Mei followed, ignoring the rumbling in her stomach and kept a tight grip on her belongings.

“It’s fine, Commander! Protocol is necessary.” she insisted as they headed down the stairs and toward the awaiting white hovercar.

The car made her feel bad for having just a small gray one back at home. Overwatch paid well (well enough for her to get something better), but the cramped space and broken right side door handle gave her little gray car the charm this spacious white hovercar lacked. She started her research in her little gray car…well, she started a lot of things in that car but those memories were for another day.

Jack held open the car door for Mei, who stopped to pick up her suitcases as the trunk opened with a pop.

“I’ll be in! Just a moment!” she told him.

Before Mei could move toward the open trunk, the other side of the hovercar door opened and out stepped another man. Mei could hardly see over the top of the vehicle, but from what she did catch, the man was wearing a black cowboy hat. She’d only seen those in her favorite Hal-Fred Glitchbot movie: _Six Gun Killer_. Mei thought it oddly endearing and often wondered what it’d be like to wear one of those; they seemed so odd considering how advanced things were these days.

“Nah, I got it.” The man told Mei, and before she could protest, he had been plucking the suitcase from her arms with ease and fitting it into the trunk. He too was tall, and if Mei looked hard enough (and she did), he was definitely thicker than the Strike Commander. Hitting him looked like it could hurt, but overall he was the oddest thing to see in conjunction with Switzerland’s bright blue skies and bright greenery. Mei suddenly felt like the sore thumb in comparison to him and the Strike Commander; her white sundress with bright blue trim and her small yet ornate hairpin that had a snowflake dangling from made her feel like the anomaly.

Mei didn’t know what to make of the black serape, the chest plate (were they looking out for any suspicious things today? Was he paranoid?), or the belt buckle. It was gold, of course, but the design of the skull with an eyepatch, a lock, and some wings left Mei wanting to ask several questions.

“Oh…” she whispered.

“Anything else you got?” the man clad in black asked.

“Just two more things, but I think I’ll keep one with me, uhm…” Mei answered and she pushed her other large suitcase toward the man, who picked it up and added it to the trunk.

“Jesse. Jesse McCree.” The man answered in turn while he shut the trunk. Mei nodded and she held out her newly free and empty hand.

“Mei-Ling Zhou! It’s good to meet you!”

Jesse shook her hand and with that, he headed back around the other side and got back into the car, with Mei watching until he was completely out of sight. Introductions over, she turned back toward the Commander, who had waited for her patiently. Jack’s jaw however had been clenched and instantly Mei realized that they had a schedule to keep and being Strike Commander must have been pressing. She hurried into the limo, made herself as comfortable as she could, and once Jack joined her and Jesse, the car began to head for the Swiss Headquarters.

 

* * *

 

                The ride there had been relatively pleasant for Mei when she took into consideration that Jesse had been the one striking up conversation. He asked her how long she had been working with Overwatch in China, and in turn Mei discovered that Blackwatch, the covert ops division she had heard about in passing before her flight here, was here as another safety precaution. It left Mei pondering; things seemed peaceful here for the most part, but she supposed not everything was what it seemed.

It hadn’t taken long for Mei to be ushered into her first meeting either. They really did have a schedule to keep, but Mei’s mind continued to wander (in between proposals and a showcase of her work in progress tech to help preserve the at-risk areas). Jesse seemed devoted to that little skull motif that was on his belt buckle; it had been tattooed on his arm. Jesse also mentioned something about his superior officer, one Gabriel Reyes (who Mei only met in passing before Jack shooed him away with another one of those tense-looking expressions), and then another buddy who had been sent off to train with new recruits. Mei supposed she’d meet everyone in time, but she was glad Jesse was able to fill her in on the small things.

Jesse had asked Mei what exactly her “weather changing thing” (that’s what he called it) was, and she had begun to explain what her tech was exactly, and why Overwatch could use it on a larger scale to protect the areas that were melting too fast or drying up, but their ride had come to a halt, and Jack was already on his way out. It might have been a good thing; Mei tended to ramble on when the subjects of the changing climate and her wish to make the world better came up, and Jesse might not have been the one who was interested.

Mei remembered the last bits of their conversation as Jesse helped her up the stairs and into headquarters with her suitcase:

_“If ya got the time after yer meetin’, I’d love to hear more!” Jesse told her._

_“Really?” Mei asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. “No one’s really asked to hear more…”_

_“It interests ya, so it’s important. We could always use people into their work!” Jesse answered. He wheeled her suitcase so that it rested against the wall near her new room, “So? How ‘bout it? We grab something to eat, you tell me more about the techy stuff, and I tell you ‘bout this place.”_

_Mei nodded, enthusiastic and she let go of her other suitcase to put her hands together, “It’s a deal, McCree!”_

_With a big smile and a tip of his hat, Jesse headed down the hall, and Mei watched until he rounded the corner and was out of sight._

* * *

 

 

                The project Overwatch had wanted to do was set to last for years, and each of the representatives here would be shipped off to the different ecopoints the team had around the world. Mei learned that in a few days’ time she’d be flying to the ecopoint in Antarctica along with Operatives Opara, Torres, and MacReady. She wouldn’t even get the time to be around Swiss Headquarters for as long as she’d hoped and the thought made her stomach fall. It had been far better speaking with friendly faces in person; Doctor Angela Ziegler had always been a fan of Mei’s work, and in turn Mei was enamored with Angela’s views on saving lives. They had both been ready to make the world a better and brighter place, albeit differently.

Torres had invited Mei and the others to dinner, and Mei figured it was better to go and get to know the new co-workers she would be spending months with. She made quick work of changing out of her wedged sandals and dress and then into some comfortable jeans with flat shoes, and her favorite Six Gun Killer shirt. She had been in the middle of putting on her comfortable white hoodie when a knock at her door sounded.

The door slid open and standing there was Jesse. It dawned on Mei that they were supposed to catch a bite to eat together and her otherwise excited expression dropped away. She couldn't exactly just blow off the people she was going to work with, it would leave an awful first impression and for once, Mei wanted to avoid awful first impressions. Her shoulders slumped just a little, yet he refused to break eye contact with the man. Mei didn't want to leave an awful first impression with Jesse either...

“Oh…McCree…” she began.

“Got some bad news for ya, Miss Zhou. Commander Reyes says we’re headin’ outta here tonight, so I’m gonna have to cancel our plans.” Jesse told her.

“Well, that’s okay! I have to meet up with the other scientists to plan things, so…” Mei trailed off. “I suppose it’s for the best!”

Jesse leaned against the door frame. “Tell you what, when all the hard work’s over, we grab a bite to eat. You pick the place.”

Mei’s face lit up with happiness. “I’ll see if there’s a good noodle spot here…and then when we get back, we’ll go together!”

“It’s a date then. I trust yer judgement and that by the time we catch up, all yer hard work woulda paid off.” Jesse told her before he stood upright again. Mei hoped that would be true as well; she would spend as many hours as she needed to in Antarctica if it meant the world could function a little easier.

“Yes!” Mei agreed. “Good luck on your mission, McCree.”

“Call me Jesse.”

“Oh! Okay! Jesse, then! Good luck, Jesse.”

“See ya round, Miss Zhou.”

Mei watched as Jesse tipped his hat at her again, offered her another bright smile (that this time surely made her stomach flutter) and headed down the hallway. Mei continued to watch as he left, and by the time he reached the end of the hall to turn the corner, she had stepped out of her room entirely.

“Call me Mei!” she yelled after him.

Jesse looked at her over his shoulder and he nodded once.

“Happy trails, Miss Mei.”

Mei didn’t move until Jesse was completely out of sight, and reluctantly she headed off to meet her other co-workers.

Halfway through drinks and dinner, as MacReady and Torres told stories of their mishaps while dealing with some of the new equipment Overwatch set up for them, something dawned on Mei.

She never asked Jesse what “happy trails” meant.

It’d be a long while before Mei got to ask him.

**Author's Note:**

> Better late than never that I try and write something consistent involving one of the ships I’ve still stuck with in Overwatch! Written just for meicree week over on Tumblr, this is just the start of a cute little collection of writings for Mei and McCree! This one was ‘First Meeting’ and I tried so hard not to go the ‘McCree found her at Ecopoint: Antarctica here comes the PAIN.’ Route. I hope you enjoyed just a little bit of this, and that maybe you’ll stick around for more!


End file.
